We asked 30 SMEs a simple question: Does Social Value help you win business? The answer?

"Yes, but only if you know how to play the game."

Gone are the days when social value was a CSR afterthought. Today's most successful SMEs prove that social impact credentials aren't just good for communities - they're game-changers for winning contracts. With major contractors now weighting social value at 10-20% of tender scores, and the new Procurement Act requiring measurable, published KPIs, the stakes have never been higher.

However, many businesses face the challenge of understanding what constitutes effective social value and how to make it additive to core contract deliverables. The reality? Of course some SMEs will treat social value like a tick-box exercise - but others are finding new business opportunities.

Download the full report, here.

The New Rules of the Game

FuturePlus partnered with Workspace to bring together business leaders from construction to charity, hospitality to tech, highlighting that social value requirements are now universal across sectors. Workspace, London's leading flexible workspace provider for over 4,000 businesses, doesn't just host discussions about social value, they live it. With their £1 million social value target and strategic focus on skills and employment, they demonstrate that social impact isn't just procurement compliance - it's strategic business practice.

The evidence from those in the room showed how social value has evolved from optional to essential. The new Procurement Act represents a fundamental shift, with government departments now aligning requirements with five national missions. This means SMEs can research their target departments and prepare strategic responses - if they know how.

The Five Success Principles

• Answer the specific question asked - not what you think they want to hear
• Make social value additive - it must go beyond core contract deliverables
• Partner with existing charities - don't reinvent the wheel
• Plan ahead - social value can't be an afterthought with published KPIs required
• Leverage technology with human expertise - platforms like AutogenAI can help craft compelling bid responses, while FuturePlus provides the Impact Certified platform so any business of any size can turn their social (or indeed wider) impact into trackable, reportable competitive advantage.

Why Peer Learning Matters

Take Workspace's approach: rather than creating employment programmes from scratch, they partner with specialist charities and choose suppliers like Corse Security (a social enterprise employing people not in education or training) and Oliver's Mill (focused on local employment). This delivers genuine impact while allowing them to focus on their core business of supporting London's brightest businesses.

With 300+ Impact Certified members worldwide, we see a consistent pattern: whilst businesses increasingly recognise sustainability's importance, they struggle with practical implementation. There's no silver bullet for social value success, but we do know what works.

Businesses need to be met where they are today, with tools that simplify rather than complicate their lives. They need platforms that help them quantify their future ambition and create practical roadmaps, supported by dedicated human expertise - not just technology alone.

But even with the right tools and support, we've found that peer-to-peer learning accelerates progress. A construction SME competing for local authority contracts faces remarkably similar challenges to a tech company bidding for NHS work. When these businesses share real-world experiences, they solve problems faster than working in isolation.

That's why FuturePlus believes in convening cross-sector discussions with partners like Workspace.

The Bottom Line

SMEs that invest in understanding social value requirements, building measurement systems, and developing compelling narratives now will have a significant competitive advantage. Those who continue to treat it as an afterthought risk being locked out of major contracts entirely.

The transformation is already happening. The question isn't whether social value matters - it's whether a business is ready to turn impact into commercial success.

Download our full report: 'Does Social Value Help SMEs Win Business?' using the form below, or clicking here.